Re: Problem setting up Administrator account



Rick wrote:
I know a little more now, so let me try again.... The problem is I renamed and assigned a password to the Administrative account. I had been using this account as my "everyday" account. For security reasons I set up a new account for everday and gave it Limited privileges only. When I needed use of the Administrative account, I was given a message to the effect "Cannot log you in, Check the spelling of User/Password." Without an Administrator account or one w/ Admin privileges, I can't do anything. Can you advise me of a means of viewing the User/Password combination w/ only a "Limited" account available to use as the account I'm logged in with? Everything I've seen for a fix assumes I have either administrative privileges, or the Administrator account itself available--and I don't. I would have thought this screwup has happened to others before, and hope there is a way to fix it. If not, and I should take it to a computer shop, please advise me--I can handle the truth. In any event, thanks for taking the time.


You need to change the built-in Administrator account to a blank so you can get into the computer. Do this with a utility like NTpasswd, as Doug Knox already told you:

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

Once you have done that and have rebooted into Windows - into the built-in Administrator account - go to Control Panel>User Accounts and 1) create a second account with administrative privileges for emergency use; 2) change the built-in Administrator account's password back to something you will remember.

If the above is too difficult - and there is no shame in admitting this isn't your cup of tea - take the machine to a local computer professional who will do it for you very quickly. This will not be a "BigStoreUSA" type of shop.


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
.



Relevant Pages